Shinobi Extraordinaire
by Ultima Zaku
Summary: To keep a bargain, the Yondaime's legacy comes running back to Konohagakure. Yet how will the Third Hokage handle him, when unknown to all, Uzumaki Naruto has become a magnificent bastard of epic proportions?


**Disclaimer: I… Own… NOTHING!**

**SHINOBI EXTRAORDINAIRE**

**Chapter 1 – Return Of The Exile**

**LET'S GET IT ON! **

"My story takes place in another world, in a place and time not your own. It takes place eons since the universal conflict known simply as the "The Great War" ravaged the known worlds, destroying countless civilizations and ruining countless lives. Millions of years since the Great Experiment was started, on a tiny, insignificant planet yet untouched by sentience. It has been centuries after Sokar the Great Destroyer laid waste upon the Ancients, driving them to near-extinction before he was banished to the nether realms.

"And it is only a matter of time before the destruction starts anew…

"You will do well to listen, young one. I alone am the last of my kind, doomed to bear out my curse for serving and betraying the Dark Lord, living out eternity as I bear the shame of decimating of humanity.

"I do not ask for forgiveness, for I know very well that I shall never acquire it. Neither do I ask for pity, for I will never deserve it. I roam the earth for one purpose now; to prevent that which has befallen my kind from happening ever again.

"And by the gods, I shall succeed…"

-**The Dark Prophet**

**-------------------- Konohagakure --------------------**

The night echoed with the howls of the wind as rain fell on the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Tonight was the first anniversary of the night when the shinobi of the leaf battled for their lives against the Great Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, and won.

Most of the damage done by the demon had been removed or repaired, but traces of destruction still hounded the society of shinobi who were desperate to forget.

Large sections of the forest that gave credit to the village's name lied barren still, the soil corrupted by the demon's hatred. A section of the Carved Faces had collapsed; crushed beneath the rubble lay the bodies of entire families who had sought out shelter from the Nine-Tail's wrath. Even the majestic Hokage building had lost one of it's five spires, broken off by a stray fireball from the fox.

Amidst the horrible reminders of the tragedy was the year-old child the Fourth Hokage had chosen to be the vessel of the demon's soul. The Yondaime had done this with the fondest wish of having the boy seen as the hero of the village, the wall who held back the demon of fire, his legacy.

With this intention in mind he had sealed the great demon deep within the child.

Sadly it was not to be.

The village gave an uproar when news of the Nine-Tails' survival reached the general public. The people had immediately petitioned for the boy's death, lest the demon breaks out and the cycle of destruction begins anew. The Yondaime could not defend the child, for the technique required his life as payment for the sealing; alas, he was dead.

In the late Yondaime's stead ruled the previous Hokage: Sarutobi, the Sandaime. Unlike the majority of the village, he looked upon the child with eyes of compassion and understanding. He did his utmost to protect the child from the village that the child, ironically, protects from the demon fox sealed within him.

But what the child needed was guidance, love, and most of all a family. The responsibilities of being Hokage prevented him from taking care of the child, and he often had to leave the boy in the care of people who were more often than not antagonistic towards him. The child has lived for only a year, but already he had suffered through numerous assassination attempts.

This had led the Hokage to consider a person from outside the village to adopt the child, a person who was free of the prejudice that plagues the hearts of the citizens of the Leaf. Of course, his decision was opposed by many in the high ranks; even his former teammates had advised him against it, but Sarutobi threatened to step down, and finally they relented. A shinobi village is measured by the strength of it's leader, and in the Leaf's vulnerable state, any Hokage weaker than Sarutobi would bring disaster upon the village

Upon hearing the Third's edict, many volunteered, all from different countries, each with their own agenda. In the end Sarutobi chose a lonely woman from the Village Hidden in the Stones who had lost her newborn son to a deadly disease.

Her name was Nayagi Makoto.

When the day came to adopt the child she had asked for the boy's name. The Third was utterly shocked and surprised to realize that he had failed to give the child a name, for he had never really needed one. Makoto gave a sigh, and then smiled at the baby sleeping in her arms.

She gave a remark on the Leaf's fixation on spirals, and then took note of the spiral seal in the child's belly. She had said that the child must have a name closely related to the village he constantly protects. On that spot, inside the office of the Hokage, she christened the baby, and gave him his name.

Uzumaki Naruto.

**-------------------- Konohagakure, Eleven years later --------------------**

It was a clear sunny day as a blond girl holding a basket of lovely flowers strolled through the streets of the village. All around her people were preparing for the annual spring festival. Her mother had asked her to bring the basket to a friend's, as she was busy herself preparing the household for the festival. Finally, after a few more minutes of walking, she had reached her destination.

"Hey, Forehead-girl!" A young, pink hair girl named Haruno Sakura turned around to come face to face with her former best friend and rival for love, Yamanaka Ino. They were standing outside the Haruno household, as Sakura was helping decorating the house for the upcoming spring festival. Sakura wore her red dress, while Ino had her usual purple outfit.

Sakura broke into a smirk as she glared at the other girl. "Well, if it isn't the Pig. What, come to relinquish your little crush on Sasuke?" The young blonde stuck out her tongue. "Like I'd ever do that Forehead girl," Ino said. "Besides, the only reason I'm here is because my mother asked me to give these to Mrs. Haruno." She pointed at the lovely basket of flowers besides her.

"Sakura, who's there?" Mrs. Haruno asked from inside their home. Sakura glared at her rival in love a little more before turning to the general direction of her mother. "It's only Ino, Mom. She brought some flowers for you." A slight pause, then, "Send her in, dear. After you're finished with the preparations you can go out with her." Sakura pouted. "But Mom! I don't need Ino's company!"

"Heh, Sakura," The girl turned to the smirking Ino, "looks like I have to baby-sit you, huh?" Sakura gave a huff before she stepped aside and gave Ino a clear path to the front door. "I don't need someone like you to watch over me." Ino gave a small chuckle and was starting to make her way to the house when Sakura let out a small gasp and yelled to someone behind her.

"Hi Sasuke-kun!"

The name Sasuke, Konoha's pretty boy with a considerably large fan base, was enough to make Ino drop her package and turn around faster than the speed of light to see... nothing.

"Hahahahahaha! Oh my God, you fell for it! Hahaha, you're such a spaz!" Ino turned around and saw Sakura laughing almost hard enough to puke her guts out. With a look of fury she slowly and threateningly advanced to the pink haired girl.

"Sakura, you-"

"OH MY GOD, IT GOT IN MY FACE!" A distant scream surprised them and they looked at each other with bewilderment. "THE FOOD! THE FOOD!" A moment of silence. "ARGH! IT'S EATING OUT MY EYES!" The girls made an expression of disgust. They listened for any more screams, and were relieved to hear no more.

"What was that about?" Sakura asked as she went inside the house, the argument forgotten. Ino picked up her basket and followed close behind. "I don't know," her companion responded, "Maybe they were shooting a movie or something."

**----------------------------------------**

Uchiha Sasuke gave a sigh as he passed by the throngs of people going about their preparations for the festival. As usual he wore his ever tedious dark-blue Uchiha super-cool shirt and white shorts, along with the standard shinobi footwear. Being one of the last two remaining Uchiha, he didn't have that much to celebrate about. He remembered a time when he would wait with unbridled excitement for the games, the food, and other festivities he often looked forward to. He even had his brother go with him once. Of course, that was before...

His silent brooding was loudly interrupted by a screaming Kiba and yapping Akamaru who just passed by running from a bunch of angry shopkeepers. Sasuke watched them with faint amusement as they disappeared around the corner. 'The Department of Weird Shit strikes again...' thought Sasuke. He shook his head a bit at the brief display of weirdness that plagues the village every now and then before resuming course toward the Uchiha estates.

**----------------------------------------**

Inuzuka Kiba and his pet/friend/partner/weapon Akamaru are currently being chased down by an angry collection of butchers, bakers, and other people with various other occupations related to food preparation and service. Apparently, the canine duo are in the middle of a really painful lesson on why you should NOT practice Dynamic Marking above the open air markets. "OH MY GOD, AKAMARU HURRY UP, THEY'RE GONNA CATCH US!" yelled Kiba, obviously distressed by the short distance between them and their pursuers.

"You too, Kiba?" The lazy drawl made the Dog-boy turn his head to see the slightly obese Chouji and the lazy Shikamaru running at the same pace as them. It wasn't that odd until you take into consideration the fact that they absolutely detest strenuous physical activity. "Boy, Kiba, what did you do to them this time?" the lazy Nara asked.

"Uh... there was a little accident at the food marts... yeah, that's it!" Kiba said. He figured that the less the others knew the better. "How about you, lazy-ass?" Shikamaru frowned lightly before deciding that he's too lazy to be angry. "Well," he started, "I could tell you, but I'm too lazy for that. Besides..." Shikamaru looked over his shoulder, "Here he comes!"

A large commotion broke out behind them, and Kiba looked up to see a big, frightening man in a chef's attire bearing down on them with an equally large cleaver. "Get back here you bastard! No one insults my cuisine and gets away with it!" Akamaru gave a frightful yelp, then jumped on his master's head, too tired to run anymore. Kiba glanced at Shikamaru.

"Don't ask, just run!" With that, the group bounded off, narrowly missed by the large cleaver, and knocking down a shy, white-eyed girl. Besides her, a boy wearing sunglasses shook his head in disdain.

**----------------------------------------**

Aburame Shino could not believe the audacity of the boys who knocked down his companion. He glared at the receding dust cloud for a moment before helping his friend up. Hyuuga Hinata was, fortunately, relatively unhurt. She was, after all, the heir of the prestigious Hyuuga clan.

"Are you alright, Hinata?" Shino asked Hinata as she patted her clothes to take off the dust. She turn at him and gave a smile. "Yes, Shino-kun, thank you for asking." She gave herself one final shake, and then resumed her course for the Hyuuga estate, with Shino falling in step besides her.

**----------------------------------------**

A frustrated scream of "ARGHH! Damn that old man!" was heard over the relative peace and quiet of the traveling caravan. The others largely ignored the outburst as an irritated boy, the source of the scream, attempted to pull out his blonde hair. After a while he gave up, and pulled back up the hood that hid his head. He gave out some inaudible curse, then settled for brooding as the troop made its way to their destination.

He had the body of a twelve year old boy, yet he held himself with an aura of power and majesty not befitting his stature. He was relatively a little short for his age, and his most visible characteristics were... well the only thing you could see were his cerulean eyes, because his clothes hid most of his features.

He wore a dark outfit that helped him camouflage himself in the dark of night. It consisted of a pair of dark boots, black pants that have irregular spots of gray randomly spread apart, a dark, long-sleeved shirt covering his upper body, the spotted vest over the shirt, a dark-blue cloak covering everything else, and last of all, a weird, strange-looking hitai-ate, with the kanji for Hunt written on it instead of the usual symbol for the ninja village a normal ninja is loyal to. He also wore a black mask to hide the lower part of his face, with his cloak's hood hiding the upper part, and had twin Katanas strapped on his back, the main weapons of choice.

He had bandages covering his hands up to his elbows that were in turn covered by a pair of fingerless gloves. On his arms and legs were arm and leg warmers, respectively. These, along with his forehead protector, serve as training weights, each individual piece weighting a 100 kilos. Good thing that he was using chakra to control them, or the horse he had been ridding on would have been crushed long ago. But the most striking feature of his clothes was the golden emblem of the Sun sewed onto the back of his cloak.

It was clear that he came from the northern part of the continent, as his outfit was clearly for a colder climate. However, the call that summoned him to Konoha was important enough for him to come immediately.

Or so he thought.

'When I get my hands on that old pervert, I'll strangle him to death!' The boy was in a bad mood, and was thinking of the thousand ways in which to torture the man who summoned him. He can be hunting bounties and earning some good cash with his partner, but instead he's sweating in the hot sun towards some old ninja village.

"Are you alright, Naruto-kun?" The boy turned his head to see Sakami, the six year old daughter of one of the merchants. She had grown close to the boy, playing with him and often distracting him from the harsher elements of life. She and the other children reminded him of the childhood he had lost. He gave her a simple smile as she jumped on his horse, and sat on his lap. After a few moments of silence he began once more to dwell on his thoughts.

"How the hell did this happen?" His mind, searching for a simple answer, rolled back to a few weeks ago, when the Sandaime Hokage's message had reached him…

**-------------------- Two months ago --------------------**

"He wants me to do WHAT!" Naruto's voice boomed throughout the bar, silencing the many other patrons in their midst. A few implored them to be quiet, while the others who knew better ignored them and resumed talking. A nearby two-tailed fox gave nothing more than a yawn, as she was very much used to her master's behavior.

Naruto, his partner, and their fox were on their way to deliver a package when they had been forced to take shelter in a lowly tavern because of a sudden blizzard. By coincidence, they met an ANBU of Konoha who was at the time searching for them, delivering a message from the Hokage. Upon learning of the pair's identity from a drunken patron, the ANBU approached and arrogantly delivered the first part of the Hokage's message. As expected, Naruto did not take it very well.

"Naruto-kun, be quiet!" A young girl of eleven clamped her hand over her partner's mouth. She was wearing almost the exact same gear as Naruto, with a few minor differences. Instead of a dark-blue color, she had opted for a dark-red version for her clothes. She also armed herself with a different weapon, a large, painful-looking Warhammer that she also uses to hit her errant partner with when his temper gets out of hand.

"Listen to the rest of what he has to say first, and then choke him to death, alright?" The girl indicated the poor ANBU hanging a few inches off the ground, held up by the boy's strong hand.

"Oh, alright!" Naruto let go of the man, who by now had turned an interesting shade of blue. As soon as the man hit the ground, he began to breathe like never before, almost like a fish in dry land.

"Okay, now tell us the rest of the old man's message before I decide to make you a permanent piece of art." Naruto pulled the man to a standing position and laid one of his Katanas against the man's throat.

"Naruto-kun!" The girl gave her partner a warning glare, and the fox-boy was forced to let go of his prisoner. "That's better. Now," She turned to the man. "I believe we haven't introduced ourselves properly. I'm Nasaki Asuka, this idiot's partner. And this is Kit." The fox walked over to her mistress and let herself enjoy Asuka's attention behind her ears.

The man was about to thank the young girl for rescuing his life when he suddenly felt blood lust behind him. The ANBU turned around to face Naruto's "Almighty Death Glare", a sight that will probably be etched into his mind for life. Stuttering, the man poured out the rest of the Hokage's message.

**----------------------------------------**

"So… you're saying that the old pervert wants me… to come back to that stinking, pathetic excuse for a shinobi village… right?" A long silence ensued. The bartender fidgeted nervously, hoping that the boy wouldn't go berserk and kill them all, not to mention ruin the place. Naruto had his head hung low,

"Why?" One of Naruto's eyebrows was raised as high as it can go, and both were twitching madly, always a bad sign. A very bad sign. The last guy who made Naruto's eyebrows twitch like that ended up with his soul bound up within a roll of toilet paper, which was then sent by him to the nearest Taco restaurant.

"Um, Naruto-kun… I think you should calm down a bit." Asuka was nervous now. She had been there when the toilet paper incident happened. Needless to say, the Jutsus Naruto uses to seal his victims were often gruesome… not to mention painful. Very painful indeed. Come to think of it, most of his methods were pretty brutal. Bounty hunters were never known for their gentleness.

Fortunately, the ANBU noticed this and decided to keep calm, even though he was detecting a rising amount of Killing Intent aimed at him. He was lucky. The absence of panicked screaming to push Naruto off the edge was all that saved him from a painful and agonizing end. Finally, Naruto calmed down enough to stop his eyebrows' twitching.

"What's in it for me?" The ANBU turned to attention at the sound of Naruto's voice. Thanks to the last few minutes with the boy, he knew better than to ignore the inquiry. "Well, the Hokage didn't exactly promise anything, except that the matter was very important."

Naruto gave a sigh. "Oh, alright, I'll go." Naruto took out some paper, wrote something on it, and handed it to the puzzled ANBU. "Here. Go back to Konohagakure and hand this to the old pervert." Naruto stared at the shocked ANBU. "Well, what are you waiting for? MOVE!"

The ANBU was only too glad to comply, disappearing in a poof of smoke and ending what could have been the most horrible half hour of his life. Naruto sighed and turned to his partner. "Well Asuka-chan, I think you're gonna have to deliver that package alone."

"Feh, don't worry about me, you dumb ass. I'll take care of myself. What I do worry about is Niashi-sama. He'll go bonkers when he hears you abandoned your mission." Naruto hugged his partner. "Don't worry about the old man. I'm sure the Guild Master will understand." The seconds passed by, until he suddenly remembered where they were. He opened his eyes and was horrified to find everyone in the tavern ogling them like a young couple.

Naruto gave them a more evil version of his "Almighty Death Glare" and smirked as everyone returned to their previous activities. He closed his eyes and hugged Asuka some more, knowing it would be a long time before they would see each other again.

**-------------------- Present Time --------------------**

Naruto and Asuka separated that night. He left Kit to protect his partner, just in case, until the mission they were on was over. After approaching the nearest trading outpost, he found himself a Caravan going to Konoha.

Naruto often preferred traveling slowly and with company, that and the fact that he was also penniless, having given Asuka all of the funds they had. Having no other choice, he got himself hired to a traveling caravan, securing the procession from the bandits that ruled the cold outlands.

The first three quarters of the journey were pleasant enough, but rather boring, as Naruto had nothing to do but sentry duty. Near the end of the trip however, since bandits don't dare attack so close to shinobi villages, he was stuck with ordinary chores like babysitting and other stuff that bored him even more to death. He wanted action, adventure and profit. He didn't sign on to wash dishes and fix some wagons! It just wasn't his thing. He slumped, dejected, on his horse.

"Cheer up, Naruto-kun! We're almost to the village!" Sakami said, looking up as she smiled. Her grin widened as Naruto smiled back. 'This job isn't bad at all,' he thought.

An old, balding, burly man on horseback approached the two children. "Ohayo, Naruto-san," The man gave a big grin. "We'll be reaching Konoha soon." He was Mr. Fujisaki, the leader of the caravan and the person who had hired Naruto. In reply Naruto only grumbled, "Yeah right, whatever…" and went back to brooding. Mr. Fujisaki shrugged and left the boy to his thoughts.

**----------------------------------------**

"The Old Pervert" gave a sneeze as he sat inside his office. Although old age has taken its toll on his body, the Sandaime Hokage was still the most respected and powerful ninja in Hidden Leaf. He was trained by the legendary First and Second Hokages, and had trained the Sannin of Konoha, the greatest ninja of their time. At his prime he had been called the Professor, having known and used all the jutsus known to Konoha.

Though he doesn't look like much, with his short stature and balding hair, he was still powerful. With the wisdom that comes with age, he had ruled Konoha for another twelve years after his supposed retirement, ever since that fateful day...

Sarutobi shook his head to clear his thoughts, and then gave another sneeze. "Someone must be talking behind my back," he grumbled as he wiped his nose. Sarutobi was expecting a visitor to Konoha, a boy that had once fled from the village. He could still remember the events that led to his desertion with crystal clarity.

-------------------- **Six years ago** --------------------

The night saw a small figure scamper off from the village walls. It stopped every now and then to check it's position, and to scout for other people. Finding none, the figure quickened it's pace until it was at a considerable distance from the Leaf. The figure panted as it leaned upon a tree. The clouds cleared up a bit to reveal the full moon.

The moonlight revealed the figure to be a small, blonde haired, six year old boy. He wore an old shirt, and a torn pair of shorts. He carried a small backpack containing what few possessions he had, as well as some meager supplies for his escape. Dropping the pack, he laid his back on the tree and waited as his strength returned. As the boy prepared himself to make another dash, he suddenly felt a presence behind him. Too afraid to look back he tried to run for it, but found himself held still by a firm grip on his shoulder. He steeled himself as he waited for the killer blow.

"Naruto…" The voice of the Sandaime broke the foreboding silence, and the child nearly gave a sigh of relief. "Where do you think you're going?" The gentle question caused the boy to tense up again. Sarutobi held his grip on Naruto, as he waited for a response.

"Away." was all he said. The Hokage loosened his grip, and the boy broke away. Naruto faced the Sandaime with tears streaming down his face, and Sarutobi flinched as he saw the unspoken volumes of pain and sorrow in the boy's eyes. "Why did she have to die?" Naruto's words pierced deep into the Sandaime's soul. Another moment of silence fell upon the two, each facing down the other.

Finally, Sarutobi broke his gaze and broke the short silence. "She did it to save you," he said. "She did it so that you would live." Naruto wildly shook his head and glared at the Hokage. "That's not what I meant!" he yelled. "Why does she have to die in the first place? Why does everyone in the village hate me and my mother! WHY! WHY!" The boy broke down and cried, releasing the emotion he had held back for the past three days. Sarutobi could do nothing but look on with pity at the sobbing boy in front of him. He approached the boy and leaned over, intending to console the Naruto.

"Don't touch me." The Hokage had stepped back before he realized the venom and hatred of those words. He also felt something more sinister, lurking in the air and forming a familiar aura of anger and hatred around Naruto. With a sudden jolt he realized that the foreign chakra was that of the Nine-Tail's. He tried once more to approach the boy, but found himself held back by a barrier of demonic chakra.

Naruto glared at the Third Hokage before turning around to make a run for it. Sarutobi tried to follow, but found that the barrier had formed a capsule, trapping him and giving the boy enough time to flee. The Hokage could do nothing but sadly look on as the boy disappeared completely from view. After a while the demonic chakra disappeared, and Sarutobi searched in vain for any trace of Naruto's trail. With a heavy heart, he turned around and made his way back into the village.

**-------------------- Present Time --------------------**

The Sandaime let himself dwell on his memories a bit longer, before purging his head of all thought. With renewed concentration he once again focused on the daunting mountain of paperwork before him.

**----------------------------------------**

Naruto watched as they drew nearer to the looming gates of Konoha. He was beginning to have doubts about coming to the village at all. Naruto was wondering how Sandaime even managed to convince him to come when the caravan came to a slow stop. Snapped out of his thoughts, Naruto saw that they had finally reached Konoha. 'After all these years,' he thought, 'I came back here again.'

When he dismounted his horse, the ANBU guarding the gate had already asked for the gate pass, and Mr. Fujisaki proceeded to look for it among the wagons. After finally finding and showing the pass - it turned out that the children had hidden it beneath the lead wagon - the caravan was given a thumbs-up and was allowed to proceed into Konoha. The ANBU gazed over the traders, wishing them a good business season, and approached to waiting Naruto.

"Good morning," she said, looking down on the short shinobi. "Please state your name and the purpose for your visit." If it were any other village we would have given out his name without a second thought, but this wasn't any other village. This is Konoha, the village that hated him, the village that killed his mother in cold blood.

Naruto fought to keep his anger on control as the ANBU waited for his response. Glaring up at her, he chose his words carefully. "I was summoned by the Sandaime Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves for a mission of utmost secrecy and importance." He flashed the letter of summons the Hokage wrote, and was satisfied to see the ANBU nod her head in approval. 'So far, so good. Now let's see if my luck holds up.' Naruto began to walk towards the entrance.

"Wait a moment." Naruto stopped in his tracks and turned around to face the ANBU. 'Guess not,' he thought. The ANBU had her arms crossed and was gently tapping her foot. "You gave out the correct password, and you weren't lying when you said it, but you still haven't given me your name." Naruto could almost feel her glare through her Cat mask. "So what are you waiting for... shorty."

The blue eyed shinobi slightly bristled at the apparent insult to his height. 'I hate people like that,' Naruto thought as he tried to find a way to wiggle out of the situation. He found none, as ANBU are trained to detect lies, so he settled for the next best thing. 'Well... at least Sakami and the others would see how cool I am,' he thought as he prepared to answer the ANBU.

"My name… is Uzumaki Naruto."

**----------------------------------------**

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

And so this disturbing scene between the equally disturbing pair of Rock Lee and his Jounin teacher Maito Gai continued for another half hour. Hyuuga Neji and Tenten, the other members of the cell, were forced to wait and endure the display.

Finally, Neji decided that enough was enough. "Gai-sensei," he said, "we should go now." Realizing their situation, Gai stood up and pointed in the general direction of Konoha. "YOSH!" he said. "Enough of our youthful display, Lee! We must now go back to our home, lest we deprive the people of the Leaf of our springtime youth!" Gai's teeth flashed.

Lee looked at his role model with teary eyes of admiration, while Neji and Tenten sighed and shook their heads in disdain. Overcome with emotion, Lee was about to respond with the same aplomb when he suddenly felt it: a sudden disturbance of strange chakra. It was strong, stronger than anything he had ever sensed, save that of the great demon that Konoha so long ago. Lee looked at his teammates and saw that they had sensed it as well. Tenten had a look of shock on her face; Neji had a look of apprehension.

Gai, however, was unreadable. "Lee, Neji, Tenten," he said, looking at the direction of Konoha. "Let's go." With a look of understanding shared between them, they vanished in a swirl of smoke and leaves.

**----------------------------------------**

Naruto took note of the woman's shocked posture as she shakily pulled out a small piece of paper. "Uzumaki Naruto!" she yelped as she tore the paper in half. Naruto realized that the small piece of paper was a distress note, used by ANBU to call for reinforcements.

As Naruto turned away from her and started walking again towards the village, the woman's fellow ANBU blocked the road in front of him. "How dare you come back again, you monster!" It came from the Captain of the ANBU squad who had the strongest chakra signature.

'That was fast,' Naruto thought as he pondered what he would do next. The traders were watching curiously from the sidelines, with the children rooting for Naruto. Shouts of "Leave Naruto-san alone!" "Beat them up Naruto-kun!" and the like reached his ears. Naruto was grateful for their support, but also worried that he would give himself away to them.

As if to read his mind, the ANBU chose this moment to charge. As the squad moved to attack him, Naruto realized that he had to act now. Grumbling about how troublesome the trip was shaping up to be, he prepared to defend himself. He laid down a wave of intense chakra, surprising the ANBU and giving him time to make his move. He was careful to release the wave away from the village, so as not to attract more enemies.

The traders were amazed; as this was the first time they had seen Naruto fight. They watched as several clones separated from the original and darted off to distract the ANBU. Then, with horrifying ease, Naruto drew out his twin Katanas and proceeded to disappear, reappearing several moments later on the same spot. The ANBU around him suddenly flew up to the sky, and then landed on the ground with a sickening thud, while the clones poofed out of existence.

The traders around them were astonished, to say the least. After a while they erupted in cheers. The adults were amazed at the skill of someone so young, while the children were delighted that their playmate had beaten the ANBU.

Naruto waved as he walked to the caravan. Smiling, he approach Mr. Fujisaki. "My payment, please," he said, "for services rendered." The Merchant gave a grin as he gave the boy a bag with 1000 ryous. With a happy sigh Naruto rubbed the his cheek on the bag, enjoying the feel of money after being penniless for so long.

"Ah, Gama-chan is gonna be full again." Naruto sighed happily as he hid the bag inside his clothes. He turned to the caravan and gave a solemn bow. "It was great doing business with you, Mr. Fujisaki. I'll be looking for a chance to work with you again." The old man returned the gesture, as Sakami came up to him with teary eyes. "Bye, Naruto-kun. I hope we see each other again." she said, wiping out a tear with her hand.

Naruto smiled as he gently poked her forehead. "Don't worry Sakami; I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again." Sakami returned the smile, and ran off towards the retreating caravan. As the procession disappeared into the village, Naruto turned his attention to the ANBU squad knocked out cold in front of the village gates.

"Well, it can't be helped." He formed his hands into a seal, "Henge!" With a burst of smoke, he transformed into a fat, bald, unassuming fisherman, fishing rod included. "Well, I guess it's time to see the old gramps." He started whistling a soft tune while he proceeded to walk to the Hokage building. Hopefully he could get there in time before the other people arrive.

"Hold it."

It was too late. Naruto sighed in resignation as he turned around to face the group. He observed a Jounin sensei, the single adult, in a battle stance. He took note of the Jounin's weird appearance. The group's sensei had a bowl cut hairstyle, wearing an atrocious green body suit, ad had enormously thick eyebrows. He also had his forehead protectors worn as a belt, and had a Flak jacket on.

Naruto then turned his attention to the three children, who he surmised to be Genin. They were about a year older than him, and they were all prepared to fight. The first one was almost like a carbon replica of his sensei, minus the flak jacket. He even had his sensei's eyebrows, which were thankfully not as thick as the Jounin's.

The second one's most distinguished feature was his pupil-less, white eyes. That, coupled with his gentle fist stance, gave him away as a Hyuuga. Besides the eyes, the boy looked pretty normal compare to his first two comrades. Naruto then observed the last member of the group, a girl.

The girl looked ordinary enough, more so than her three comrades. She wore a strange looking traditional top, and had her hair in a pair of buns up on either side of her head. Naruto came to a conclusion that the girl was a weapon specialist, judging from the many implements of death and doom she had on the ready.

Naruto gave a sigh and turned his back on them, intending to just ignore the four and head straight for the Hokage. Just as he was about to leap off, he sensed a kunai heading right for him and was forced catch it. He turned back around and glared at the team. "You won't be going anywhere anytime soon." The thick-browed Jounin got into his fighting stance; his three students prepared themselves to aid him.

Upon hearing the Jounin's statement Naruto fought back the rising urge to laugh. After a few moments, he lost the battle and was forced to erupt in a fit of girlish giggles entirely unbecoming of him. The team frowned at the obvious insult to their strength, and prepared to attack.

"Do you really think you can stop me?" Naruto waved his hand around. "Look around you! The ANBU here fell before me in mere seconds! How long do you think you and your three stooges will last?" He gave a few more derisive chuckles, daring the team to challenge him. He gently shook one of his swords, disguised as the fishing rod. The other was slung over his back, disguised as a large fish.

Gai looked around and observed the knocked-out ANBU squad. He took note of the fact that none of them had any visible injuries, which meant that the stranger wasn't even forced to hurt them. He wisely decided that the stranger was way out of his league. "You're right," he said, "but what are you going to do now?" The stranger cocked his head in puzzlement, as Gai took out a note.

"As soon as I tear this note, the Hokage himself will know of your presence." Gai gave off a victorious smirk. "Then, all the shinobi in this village will come after you. I suggest you stay where you are until they arrive." The stranger paused a moment before giving out a smirk of his own. "It would be nice if the old man came here and fetch me himself, but I don't really want to spoil the surprise."

The fisherman turned his back on them, chuckling softly as he did. "Besides, I don't think you'll be able to move around anytime soon anyway." The ground suddenly bulged up and broke apart in front of the Konoha ninja. An ethereal creature burst forth, surprising Gai and his students. It had a tall, skeletal appearance, and wore a torn, black robe. It held an old scythe, glowing with dark energy.

The creature gave a haunting howl, and swung its scythe at the group. The four ninjas attempted to evade the blow, but found themselves bound by an invisible force. They braced themselves and were thrown to the ground. The creature gave off another howl, it's eyes glowing a fiery red, as it disappeared back into the ground with the same manner as it appeared.

Gai gave a strangled gasp as he felt his energy drain away. Before long all he could do was stay conscious. He turned his head to his students and found them lying on the ground, knocked out cold. The note, lying next to him, was now useless as it was drained of all chakra. He again heard the derisive laughter from the stranger.

"Don't worry, Fuzzy. It's just a few more hours till noon." The fisherman waved at them as he walked back into the village. "Hopefully, the next patrol will find you before the wild tigers do." It was the last Gai heard before the darkness finally overtook him.

**BREAK!**


End file.
